These are the main developments as of the 1,100th day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Here’s the status for Friday, February 28:
Fighting
A drone attack on an ambulance in Ukraine’s Kherson region, under Russian control, killed a woman and a child, according to RIA, a Russian state news agency.
Ukrainian military reports indicate they shot down 107 drones out of 208 launched by Russia overnight. Another 97 drones were said to be “lost” and failed to hit their targets.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announces they foiled a Ukrainian military intelligence service’s attempt to assassinate Tikhon Shevkunov, a prominent cleric in Russia’s Orthodox Church, stationed in Crimea.
- Moscow’s Defence Ministry announced its forces have retaken Nikolsky settlement in Russia’s western Kursk region, which had been held by Ukraine.
- Russian forces attacked energy facilities in Kharkiv region, northeastern Ukraine, with Governor Oleh Syniehubov reporting one man injured in the town of Balakliya southeast of Kharkiv.
Politics and diplomacy
- According to South Korea’s YTN television channel, citing intelligence from Seoul, North Korea has deployed additional troops to Russia though the size of the force remains undisclosed.
- European Council President Antonio Costa stated he invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the EU Leaders’ special summit on March 6 to discuss support for Ukraine.
- Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met with Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, discussing the countries’ relationship in education, security, and defense, as Anwar posted on X.
- France’s Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced the nation is in talks with Ukraine to access the country’s mineral wealth for military purposes.
- Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the five Ukrainian regions Russia claims to have annexed will not be negotiated. Despite not fully controlling four of these regions, Peskov said they are “inscribed” in Moscow’s constitution and “inseparable” from Russia.
- Kyiv’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgiy Tykhy dismissed Peskov’s comments about Ukraine’s territory being Russian, calling it “laughable” and asserting that Ukraine maintains its internationally recognized borders.
- Russia and the US held a six-and-a-half-hour meeting in Istanbul to discuss the normalization of diplomatic relations and the future of their respective embassies, excluding Ukraine from the discussions.
